Bzzzzzzzz

[Diane Rolph]

I was tempted to put this in the food and drink section at LF, because thats exactly what I am, food for mosquitoes! Does anyone share my problem?

Last year in the Loire at the end of June I was bitten all over - 40 bites or so. However, there was one bite that was horrendous! Id thought it was a mosquito, but I do remember brushing something off my leg because the pain of the bite was instant. I am beginning to wonder it could have been a Cicindela (or tiger beetle), which I understand to be carnivorous. Has anyone suffered a bite from one?

To cut a long story short, my whole leg swelled, the bite was enormous and required medical treatment including antibiotics, cream, special washing liquid etc., as it was beginning to turn gangrenous. I felt ill for the rest of the holiday still have the scar, and an occasional niggle from it!

My question is of course, what is the best deterrent? Also, I think I read somewhere that mosquitoes dont like lavender. Can anyone confirm this? If so, I shall rush out and buy lavender bath/shower gel, soap, body lotion, and of course lavender perfume!

[Teamedup]

Citronelle is supposed to be the best rather than lavender, but I doubt that you would get this in all your products and personally I don't think it smells nice enough to use generally like that.

[IanSue]

I suffer the same. However in The Sunday Times yesterday, Style supplement under Alternative Medicine it suggested taking Vitimin B1 for 2 weeks before your visit and continue taking throughout the visit. Evidently this has a good success rate and one I intend to use this year.

In doors I have one of those plug in mosquitoe deterrents and had no problem whilst indoors last year.

Hope this helps

Ian

[Valerie]

The best deterrent was recommended to me in Greece and it worked a treat - rub your skin with neat gin (the rougher the gin the better) - this has juniper in it - so perhaps this is a deterrent. I suffer dreadfully with bites and have never found the likes of Autan etc., to be of any help. However, my husband lashed out on some posh Clarins after sun with mosquito repellent which also worked a treat - however expensive at about 30! I have noticed that they are more likely to bite me when I have recently had a shower or a bath but that when I am sweaty (or dirty - shock horror) they are not interested in me. However, I feel that allowing oneself to get filthy dirty to avoid the attention of biting insects is taking things a bit far - don't you?

Valerie

[Beverly]

Hi there....I have not tried this myself but hear it works!

Company is called Alfresco - "Beauty Without Bites".

They are based in London on 0208 348 6704 or try their website on www.alfresco.uk.com

Good luck!

[Hoddy]

Diane, did you try any of the remedies - I've been back two weeks and still have two horrible swellings on my arms - I saw both the beasties but have no idea what they were - except they weren't mosquitoes.

[IanSue]

Cannot comment on what may have bitten you but I got several bites this year from what I can only describe as a horse fly. They seem to love me for desert especially when I am hot and bothered after mowing the lawn!

These bring up a bite that is some 1" in diameter and it is very hard to the touch. Lasts about 3 days then goes. To stop the itching I have found an application of my wifes Primrose Oil Cream she uses on her hands does the trick very well.

My wife found that by applying neat vinegar to a mossie bite straight away gets rid of the sensation of being bitten and it seemed to have vanished by the next morning.

Ian